In January 2017, soon after announcing a USD 100 million investment from China’s Didi Chuxing, ridesharing app 99 set up a stand on one of the corners of Antarctica Avenue, in São Paulo’s western zone. The idea was to approach drivers that arrived at a nearby building, where Uber Brazil has its headquarters, and lure them into joining 99 as well.
That episode exemplifies how the “blue ocean” Uber found in Brazil in 2014 – that is, an uncontested market space – has turned red. The competition exists, it has deep, deep pockets, and has become as aggressive as Uber itself.
Uber Brazil began its operations just before the 2014 World Cup and...
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